20 Jul 1943HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN) arrived at Lerwick. She departed later the same day for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Norwegian Sea on an Anti-Submarine patrol.

For the daily positions of HMS Sceptre during this patrol see the map below.

For the daily positions of HMS Sceptre during this patrol see the map below.

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7 Dec 1943HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN) ended her 3rd war patrol at Lerwick. She departed for Holy Loch later the same day together with HMS Sea Nymph (Lt. J.P.H. Oakley, DSC, RN). They were escorted by HMS Loch Monteith (T/Lt. K.W. Richardson, RNR). In the moring of 9 December by HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.M. Norman, RN) took over the escort. (10)

1056 hours - Sighted the masts and funnels of 3 ships coming out of the leads South of Villa were sighted. They were identified as an armed trawler and 2 merchant vessels of 1200 and 1000 tons respectively in single line ahead. Started attack.

1144 hours - In position 64°36'3"N, 10°40'5"E fired 4 torpedoes from 4000 yards. The torpedoes were heard to explode on the shore after 5 minutes.

The above mentioned Nina was in convoy with Torafire (894 GRT, built 1920). They were escorted by the German patrol vessel ND 10. They were bound for Namsos. (10)

(All times are zone -1)
1015 hours - In position 64°31'N, 10°34'E, sighted a Northbound convoy of 2 merchant vessels (2000 and 1500 tons) escorted by 3 trawlers. Started attack.

1041 hours - In position 64°35'N, 10°43'E fired 4 torpedoes on the second merchant vessel (1500 tons) from 1900 yards. No hits were obtained and no counter attack with depth charges followed, although two of the trawlers remained in the area to hunt the attacker. Explosions were heard after 3 minutes 53 seconds, 3 minutes 57 seconds, 4 minutes 55 seconds, 5 minutes 00 seconds. (10)

3 Feb 1944 (position 64.39, 10.38)HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN) claims to have attacked a German u-boat with 6 torpedoes off Namsos, Norway in position 64°31'N, 10°38'E. No hits were obtained and it is unclear what Sceptre attacked.

(All times are zone -1)
0843 hours - In position 64°38'N, 10°34'E, sighted a convoy of a 1200 tons merchant vessel and a 500 tons u-boat. They were escorted by 5 trawlers. Started attack.

0901 hours - In position 64°39'N, 10°38'E fired 6 torpedoes from 4400 yards at the u-boat. No hits were obtained. Sceptre was hunted and 21 depth charges were dropped but none was close.

The convoy attacked was made up of the German tankers Blexen
(759 GRT, built 1942) and Feiestein (461 GRT, built 1941). They were escorted by the German patrol vessels V 5911, ND-12, ND-15 and NSA-02. The German submarine U-360 and her escort M-132 were also in the area but M-132 only made RV with the uboat at 1030 hours. It is not clear what Sceptre attacked it is possible it was U-360 but it was also possible that another ship was attacked and mistaken for a u-boat, quite possible at a range of 4400 yards in not to good visibility. (10)

(All times are zone -1)
1019 hours - Sighted a HE-115 aircraft patrolling to the North-East. A convoy was expected to be nearby.

1027 hours - In position 64°32'4"N, 10°35'5"E sighted the convoy. Started attack. The convoy was seen to be made up of 5 merchant vessels, 2 of 3000 to 4000 tons, 2 of 2500 tons and 1 of 1000 tons. They were escorted by 1 M-class minesweeper, 1 whaler and 3 trawlers.

1124 hours - Due to a zig Sceptre ended up between the two columns of merchant ships. She fired 2 torpedoes from only 250 yards at one of the bigger merchant vessels. Both missed as they probably passed under not having reached their correct depth yet. Went to 270 feet on firing but no counter attack followed.

1218 hours - Returned to periscope depth. Nothing in sight. (10)

7 Mar 1944 (position 64.32, 10.38)HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN) torpedoed and heavily damaged the German merchant Lippe (7849 GRT, built 1919) off the Foldafjord, Norway in position 64°32'N, 10°38'E. The Lippe is beached but breaks up the following day.

(All times are zone -1)
1034 hours - In position 64°33'N, 10°36'E sighted a convoy of 3 merchant ships (7800 tons, 4000 tons and 3000 tons) with an escort of 1 M-class minesweeper, a whaler and 2 trawlers. Started attack.

1109 hours - Fired 5 torpedoes at the 3 overlapping merchant vessels from 1500 to 1700 yards. Went deep on firing. It had been intended to fire a full salvo of 6 torpedoes but owning to an error in drill only 5 were fired. 4 Hits were claimed on all 3 ships but this was not the case. Only Lippe was hit and she was beached but broke up the following day.

A counter attack followed in which 18 depth charges were dropped but these caused no damage to Sceptre.

The convoy attacked was made up of the above mentioned Lippe (correctly identified by Lt. McIntosh), German tanker Adria (6358 GRT, built 1927) Norwegian passenger/cargo ship Dronningen (661 GRT, built 1894) and Dutch merhant vessel (in German service) Alkaid (5483 GRT, built 1937). They were escorted by the minesweeper M-151 and patrol vessels NM-02 and ND-07.
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(All times are zone -1)
1625 hours - Sighted the mast of a ship. Closed to investigate.

1640 hours - Started attack on 1200 tons merchant vessel escorted by a minesweeper and a trawler.

1703 hours - In position 64°32'8"N, 10°37'8"E fired 3 torpedoes at the merchant vessel from 2600 yards. Went to 270 feet on firing. An explosion was head at a time giving a running range of 2600 yards. This was thought to be a hit. 2 More explosions were heard giving a running range of 4400 yards. These were the other 2 torpedoes that hit the shore. A mild counter attack followed in which 7 depth charges were dropped but these did no damage.

Kong Harald was escorted by the German patrol boats ND-08 and ND-10. (10)

13 Mar 1944 (position 64.35, 10.33)HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN) attacked the Dutch merchant (in German service) Gordias (1632 GRT, built 1939) with 2 torpedoes near Namsos. Two hits were claimed as well as the ship being sunk. This was however not the case.

1113 hours - Started attack on a 5000 tons merchant vessel escorted by a trawler.

1124 hours - In position 64°34'7"N, 10°32'9"E fired 2 torpedoes from 1200 yards. Went to 270 feet on firing. Heard 2 explosions 39 and 48 seconds after firing so 2 hits were claimed as loud breaking up noises were heard. A counter attack of 9 single depth charges followed but this caused no damage to Sceptre.

The above mentioned Gordias was escorted by the German patrol boats ND-09 and ND-10.
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14 Apr 1944X-24 placed both explosive charges near the dock en then succesfully found her way back out to sea. At 2301 hours she made RV with HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN). Both submarines now retired from the area at full speed until 0034/15 when both stopped and Sceptre took X-24 in tow. The crew of the midged submarine was also taken off and a passage crew placed on board.

The dry dock was however not sunk but damaged. The German merchant Barenfels (7569 GRT, built 1921) was sunk instead. (10)

6 May 1944HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN) departed Holy Loch for her 8th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Bay of Biscay off Northern Spain.

She was escorted South through the Irish Sea until 0650/8 by HMS Cutty Sark (A/Cdr. E.A. Stocker, DSC, RN).

For the daily and attack positions of HMS Sceptre during this patrol see the map below.

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20 May 1944 (position 43.31, -2.52)HMS Sceptre (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, MBE, DSC, RN) torpedoed and sank the German merchant Hochheimer (1894 GRT, former British Ronwyn, built 1918) off Bilbao, northern Spain in position 43°31'N, 02°52'W. Hochheimer was escorted by the German patrol vessels V-402 and V-405.

(All times are zone -2)
0028 hours - Sighted two ships coming from Bilbao. Started attack.

0037 hours - Fired 6 torpedoes from 500 yards. When the 2nd and 3rd torpedoes were seen to pass under the leading ship the 4th torpedo was fired. Sceptre then began to dive and it was intended not to fire the 5th and 6th torpedoes of the salvo but due to an error in drill these were fired. These were 2 wasted torpedoes as the helm was now on.

2 Minutes and 47 seconds after firing the was an explosion. Another ship that was seen while diving beyond the 2 ships attacked was hit. Soon after diving A/S transmissions were heard coming from the 2 ships that were initially attacked and they are now thought to be escorts. They dropped 4 depth charges that caused no damage to Sceptre.

(All times are zone -2)
On closing the coast sighted a large merchant painted grey at anchor of Punta Cotolino. In this position it was not possible to attack without upsetting the Spanish. Soon after midday she was seen to be under way and she seemed to be making for Bilbao at slow speed. Sceptre closed her at 7 knots for 12 minutes. Soon afterwards she was seen to be steering to the Westward and soon afterwards to the Northward and then she appeared to stop in a position about 2 nautical miles East of Casto Urdiales (off Punta Lamie). As she was now some distance of a Spanish harbour it was decided to attack.

1407 hours - Fired a torpedo from 2000 yards. It hit the target in the forward hold.

1409 hours - Fired a second torpedo. This hit the after hold. The whole ship lifted up and her keel was broken. She was soon resting on the bottom with a list of 30 degrees. It was then that a loading gantry was seen on the cliff and it became clear that this was a loading place for iron ore. The Spanish would not like this loading berth to be blocked with the wreck of a German ship. (10)

She had succesfully placed her explosive charges. The dry dock sank. Two Norwegian merchant vessels that were near the dock were damaged, the Sten (1464 GRT, built 1910) and Kong Oscar II (914 GRT, built 1904) (10)

Later the same day she torpedoed and sank the Norwegian merchant Vela (1184 GRT, built 1930, offsite link) and the German minesweeper M 132 (874 tons, built 1942) off Egersund, Norway in position 58°19'N, 05°35'E.

(All times are zone -1)
1215 hours - Sighted a small unescorted coaster. Started attack. When first seen she was thought to be of 1500 tons but when Sceptre came closer he was thought to be no more than 800 tons.

1247 hours - In position 58°30'2"N, 05°41'E fired 3 torpedoes from 1000 yards. All missed and exploded on the beach. It is thought the torpedoes might have run underneath the ship.

2231 hours - In position 58°19'2"N, 05°34'8"E fired a full salvo of 6 torpedoes from 2200 yards at the 2 merchant vessels. 4 Explosions were heard between 2 minutes 32 and 2 minutes 58 seconds after firing. A counter attack in which about 7 patterns of 4 or 5 depth charges were dropped followed but they caused no harm to Sceptre as she was retiring at high speed on the surface about 2 nautical miles from the place of the attack by that time. It is thought both merchant vessels were sunk.

The convoy attacked was made up of the above mentioned Vela as well as the German merchant Haussa (2819 GRT, built 1942). Besides the above mentioned M-132 the other ships of the escort were the German minesweeper M-1 and the German patrol vessels UJ-1111 and UJ-1113. (10)

Later the same day she departed for Holy Loch together with HMS Sea Scout (Lt. J.W. Kelly, RN). They were escorted by HMS Shikari (Lt. E.H.U. Cautley, RNVR). The next moning HMS Scythian (T/Lt C.P. Thode, RNZNVR) joined them off Scapa Flow. (10)

2255 hours - In position 58°34'N, 05°28'5"E fired 2 torpedoes at the 6000 tons merchant vessel and 2 torpedoes at the 4000 tons merchant vessel. After firing Sceptre retired on the surface at 14.5 knots. 2 minutes and 30 seconds after firing there was a tremendous explosion and the leading ship blew up with great violence [this must have been UJ-1111 that was hit and sunk]. 2 Hits were observed on the second ship. About 12 depth charges were dropped in the counter attack but as Sceptre was retiring on the surface these did her no harm. The counter attacks were carried out by UJ 1102 and UJ 1104. (10)